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Fortuna Düsseldorf
Fortuna Düsseldorf.svg
Full name Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein
Fortuna 1895 e.V.
Nickname(s) Flingeraner, Fortunen, F95
Founded 5 May 1895; 130 years ago (1895-05-05)
Ground Merkur Spiel-Arena
Ground Capacity 54,600
Board members Alexander Jobst (Chair)
Klaus Allofs
Arnd Hovemann
Head coach Daniel Thioune
League 2. Bundesliga
2020–21 2. Bundesliga, 5th of 18
Third colours

Fortuna Düsseldorf is a German football club from Düsseldorf. Its full name is Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V. The team plays in the 2. Bundesliga, which is the second-highest football league in Germany.

Fortuna Düsseldorf was started in 1895. The club joined the league in 1913 and was a top team from the 1920s until the Bundesliga began in 1963. Fortuna won one German championship in 1933. They also won the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) twice, in 1979 and 1980. In 1979, they reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, a big European competition, but lost to Barcelona.

Club History: From the Start to World War II

How Fortuna Düsseldorf Began

The club's story began on May 5, 1895, when a gymnastics club called Turnverein Flingern was formed. This was in a village called Flingern, which is now part of Düsseldorf. Later, two other football clubs, Düsseldorfer Fußballklub Spielverein (started in 1908) and FK Alemania 1911 (started in 1911), joined together. In 1912, they became Düsseldorfer Fußball-Club Fortuna 1911. This new club played its first season in 1913–14. Finally, in 1919, Turnverein Flingern joined Fortuna to create the club we know today: Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna.

Early Successes and a Big Win

In the late 1920s, Fortuna Düsseldorf started winning important titles. They won a local league title in 1927. In 1928, their player Ernst Albrecht was the first from the club to play for the German national team. They won another local title in 1929.

The 1930s were a very successful time for Fortuna. They won more district titles and became champions of Western Germany in 1931. Their biggest achievement was winning the German football championship in 1933. They beat Schalke 04 in the final. Fortuna was the first team to win this championship without letting in any goals in the final rounds. They beat several teams, including Schalke 04 (3–0), to become national champions.

Playing in the Gauliga and War Years

After their big win, Fortuna played in the Gauliga Niederrhein, one of the top leagues in Germany at the time. They were very strong in the 1930s, winning this division five times between 1936 and 1940. They also reached the national championship final in 1936, but lost to 1. FC Nürnberg. In 1937, they lost in the final of the Tschammerpokal, which is now called the DFB-Pokal, again to Schalke 04.

The club was moved down a league in 1942 but quickly returned the next season. In 1944–45, during World War II, they played as a combined team called Kriegsspielgemeinschaft TSV Fortuna/SC 99 Düsseldorf. However, the war ended soon after, and they only played two matches.

Some of the most famous players from this time were Paul Janes, who played for Germany many times, and Stanislaus Kobierski, who scored Germany's first-ever FIFA World Cup goal. Other important players included Ernst Albrecht and Jakob Bender.

Fortuna After World War II

Fortuna Düsseldorf Performance Chart
Historical chart of Fortuna league performance

After World War II, sports clubs in Germany had to be re-formed. Fortuna Düsseldorf started again in 1945. For many years, from 1947 until the Bundesliga started in 1963, they played in the Oberliga West. They were usually a middle-of-the-table team.

During this period, Fortuna reached the DFB-Pokal final three times (1957, 1958, and 1962). However, they lost all three matches to teams like Bayern Munich and 1. FC Nürnberg. Famous players from this era included Toni Turek, who was the goalkeeper for West Germany's "Miracle of Bern" team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup, and Erich Juskowiak. Later, Jupp Derwall, who became a national team coach, also played for Fortuna.

The 1960s and 1970s: A Strong Comeback

Fortuna Düsseldorf was not good enough to be one of the first 16 teams in the new Bundesliga in 1963. But they worked hard and joined the top league three years later for the 1966–67 season. They had a great start, winning 2–1 against Borussia Dortmund in their first Bundesliga game. However, they were moved down a league right away.

In 1971, Fortuna returned to the Bundesliga and stayed there for 16 seasons. They finished third in the league twice, in 1972–73 and 1973–74. On December 9, 1978, Fortuna had a huge 7–1 victory against Bayern Munich. This is still Bayern's biggest away defeat in Bundesliga history.

Fortuna also continued to do well in the DFB-Pokal. After losing their fifth final in 1978 to local rivals 1. FC Köln, they finally won the cup in 1979, beating Hertha BSC 1–0. They won it again in 1980, with a 2–1 victory over 1. FC Köln. During this time, they set a record by winning 18 DFB-Pokal matches in a row between 1978 and 1981.

Fortuna Düsseldorf has reached the DFB-Pokal final many times, but has only won it twice, losing five times. Four of their losses were by just one goal, and two of those were in extra time.

The club's best performance in a European competition was in the 1979 European Cup Winners' Cup Final. They were runners-up, losing 4–3 to Barcelona in extra time in an exciting match.

Many of Fortuna's successful players during this time were from Düsseldorf or became famous while playing for the club. These included the famous Allofs brothers, Klaus Allofs and Thomas Allofs, and players like Gerd Zewe, Dieter Herzog, and Rudi Bommer.

From the 1980s to the New Century

LTU arena - Warsteiner
Esprit arena in Düsseldorf. View from the Warsteiner Tribüne. Match: Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. FC St. Pauli.

After being moved down a league in 1987, Fortuna Düsseldorf moved between different leagues. They spent five more seasons in the Bundesliga from 1989–92 (after winning the 2nd Bundesliga in 1988–89) and again from 1995–97. They even dropped as low as the Oberliga Nordrhein (the fourth division) from 2002–04. In 2001, the club almost dropped even further due to money problems. However, they managed to get their finances in order. From 2001 to 2003, the German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen even sponsored the club.

Recent Seasons: Ups and Downs

In the 2008–09 season, Fortuna played in the new 3. Liga. They finished second and were automatically promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. In their first season back, 2009–10, they finished fourth. They were the only team in the top three German leagues that season to not lose a single home game.

The 2010–11 season started badly for Fortuna, as they lost their first six matches. But they bounced back and finished seventh. The 2011–12 season was much better. Fortuna was in first place at the halfway point, with 12 wins, 5 draws, and no losses. This gave fans hope for a return to the Bundesliga. The second half of the season was tougher, and they finished third. However, this was enough to play in a two-game playoff against Hertha BSC to get into the Bundesliga. Fortuna won the first game 2–1 in Berlin and drew the second game in Düsseldorf, which meant they were promoted!

This promotion was special for team captain Andreas Lambertz. He became the first player in German football history to be promoted three times with the same club, from the fourth division all the way to the Bundesliga.

Fortuna started the 2012–13 Bundesliga season well, being fifth after five games. But their performance dropped, and they didn't win any of their last eight matches. On the final day of the season, they lost 0–3 to Hannover 96. Other results meant Fortuna dropped to 17th place and were moved back down to the 2. Bundesliga. This poor performance led to their coach, Norbert Meier, being dismissed.

From 2013 to 2017, Fortuna spent time in the middle of the 2. Bundesliga table, often fighting to avoid being moved down again. They had several coaching changes during these years.

In March 2016, Friedhelm Funkel became the coach. His first game was a 4–3 win, ending a long winless streak. Funkel brought more stability and success to the club.

At the start of the 2017–18 season, Fortuna lost some key players and their assistant coach. Despite this, they started very strongly, reaching first place by the fourth game. They stayed in the top three for the rest of the season. Strong play from players like Raphael Wolf, Benito Raman, and Rouwen Hennings helped them. Fortuna won their next two matches in April, securing promotion back to the Bundesliga. In the final game, they beat 1. FC Nürnberg 3–2, winning the 2. Bundesliga Championship. This was Funkel's sixth promotion as a coach, a German record!

Fortuna Düsseldorf's return to the top league in 2018–19 was very exciting for their fans. The first half of the season had mixed results. They played very well against top teams, drawing with Leipzig and beating Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund. A memorable moment was a 3–3 draw against defending champions Bayern Munich, where Dodi Lukebakio scored all three goals for Fortuna. However, they struggled against teams lower in the table. They finished the first half of the season in 14th place after three straight wins.

The second half of the season was better. Fortuna had good away wins and some great home victories, including a 4–1 win over Werder Bremen and a 3–1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. They finished 10th in the Bundesliga, their highest league finish since the 1989–90 season.

Sponsorship

For the 2017–18 season, the online sports betting website Tipbet continued its support as a Premium Partner of Fortuna. This partnership included marketing campaigns and regular promotions.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player
1 Poland GK Marcel Lotka
3 Germany DF Christopher Lenz
4 Germany DF Kenneth Schmidt
5 Germany DF Moritz Heyer
6 France MF Giovanni Haag
7 Germany FW Luca Raimund
8 Morocco MF Anouar El Azzouzi
9 Netherlands FW Vincent Vermeij
10 Denmark FW Christian Rasmussen
11 Germany FW Julian Hettwer
12 Iceland DF Valgeir Lunddal Friðriksson
14 Greece MF Sotiris Alexandropoulos (on loan from Sporting CP)
15 Germany DF Tim Oberdorf
18 Germany FW Jona Niemiec
No. Position Player
19 Germany FW Emmanuel Iyoha
20 Germany DF Jamil Siebert
21 Germany MF Tim Rossmann
22 Germany MF Danny Schmidt
23 Germany MF Shinta Appelkamp
25 Germany DF Matthias Zimmermann
26 Germany GK Florian Schock
27 Poland FW Dennis Jastrzembski
30 Netherlands DF Jordy de Wijs
33 Germany GK Florian Kastenmeier (3rd captain)
43 Germany MF King Manu
45 Germany MF Karim Affo
46 Germany MF Sima Suso

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Germany GK Ben Zich (at Roda JC until 30 June 2026)

Fortuna Düsseldorf II (Reserve Team)

No. Position Player
1 Germany GK Ben Zich
2 Germany DF Leonard Brodersen
3 Germany DF Gideon Guzy
4 Germany DF Elias Egouli
5 Germany DF Jan Boller
7 Germany MF Ronay Arabaci
8 Germany MF Marius Zentler
9 Netherlands MF Luka Majetic
10 Morocco MF Hamza Anhari
11 Germany FW Lennart Garlipp
12 Germany MF Dávid Savic
13 Germany DF Noah Förster
15 Germany DF Kris Pöstges
No. Position Player
18 Germany MF Danny Latza
19 Germany DF Nico Petritt
20 South Korea FW Si-woo Yang
21 Germany MF Daniel Bunk
23 Germany FW Kilian Skolik
25 Germany DF Lennard Wagemann

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27 Germany MF Kevin Brechmann
28 Belgium FW Abdoul Camara
30 Germany FW Mechak Quiala-Tito
31 Germany GK Tobias Pawelczyk
33 Germany GK Dominic Grehl
Germany DF Tobias Grulke

Club Achievements and Trophies

Fortuna Düsseldorf has won several important titles:

National Championships

  • German Championship:
    • Winners: 1933
    • Runners-up: 1936
  • 2. Bundesliga (Second Division):
    • Winners: 1988–89, 2017–18
  • Regionalliga West (Second Division):
    • Winners: 1965–66
  • Oberliga Nordrhein (Third Division):
    • Winners: 1993–94

Cup Competitions

  • DFB-Pokal (German Cup):
    • Winners: 1978–79, 1979–80
    • Runners-up: 1936–37, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1977–78

International Competitions

Regional Titles

  • Western German Championship: 1930–31
  • Gauliga Niederrhein/Berg-Mark: 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1946–47
  • Western German Cup: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1970–71

Reserve Team Achievements

  • German amateur football championship: 1976–77

League Performance Over the Years

Fortuna Düsseldorf has played in many different leagues throughout its history. Here's a look at some of their league journeys:

  • 1913–1914: C-Klasse (3rd tier) – Champions: 1914
  • 1914–1918: B-Klasse (2nd tier) – Champions: 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918
  • 1918–1919: A-Klasse (1st tier)
  • 1919–1920: A-Klasse (2nd tier) – Champions: 1920
  • 1920–1921: Gauliga Berg Mark (1st tier)
  • 1921–1922: A-Klasse (2nd tier)
  • 1922–1933: Gauliga Berg Mark (1st tier) – Champions: 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933
  • 1933–1942: Gauliga Niederrhein (1st tier) – Champions: 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940
  • 1942–1943: Bezirksklasse (2nd tier) – Champions: 1943
  • 1943–1944: Gauliga Niederrhein (1st tier)
  • 1944–1946: No games due to World War II
  • 1946–1947: Bezirksliga Berg Mark (1st tier) – Champions: 1947
  • 1947–1949: Oberliga West (1st tier)
  • 1949–1950: 2. Liga West (2nd tier)
  • 1950–1960: Oberliga West (1st tier)
  • 1960–1961: 2. Liga West (2nd tier)
  • 1961–1963: Oberliga West (1st tier)
  • 1963–1966: Regionalliga West (2nd tier) – Champions: 1966
  • 1966–1967: Bundesliga (1st tier)
  • 1967–1971: Regionalliga West (2nd tier)
  • 1971–1987: Bundesliga (1st tier)
  • 1987–1989: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier) – Champions: 1989
  • 1989–1992: Bundesliga (1st tier)
  • 1992–1993: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
  • 1993–1994: Oberliga Nordrhein (3rd tier) – Champions: 1994
  • 1994–1995: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
  • 1995–1997: Bundesliga (1st tier)
  • 1997–1999: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
  • 1999–2000: Regionalliga West/Südwest (3rd tier)
  • 2000–2002: Regionalliga Nord (3rd tier)
  • 2002–2004: Oberliga Nordrhein (4th tier)
  • 2004–2008: Regionalliga Nord (3rd tier)
  • 2008–2009: 3. Liga (3rd tier)
  • 2009–2012: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
  • 2012–2013: Bundesliga (1st tier)
  • 2013–2018: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier) – Champions: 2018
  • 2018–2020: Bundesliga (1st tier)
  • 2020–present: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)

Recent Seasons (Last Five Years)

Season League Tier Position DFB-Pokal Av. Home Attendance Top Scorer(s)
2020–21 2. Bundesliga 2 5th Round 2 441 Germany Rouwen Hennings (9)
2021–22 2. Bundesliga 2 10th Round 2 17,526 Germany Rouwen Hennings (13)
2022–23 2. Bundesliga 2 4th Round of 16 29,420 Poland Dawid Kownacki (14)
2023–24 2. Bundesliga 2 3rd Semifinals 39,672 Greece Christos Tzolis (22)
2024–25 2. Bundesliga 2 6th Round 1 41,431 Poland Dawid Kownacki (13)

Notable Players

Players Who Played for Germany

Twenty-five players from Fortuna Düsseldorf have played for the German national side. Most of them made their first national team appearance while playing for Fortuna.

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Head coach Germany Daniel Thioune
Assistant coach Germany Manfred Stefes
EnglandGermany Jan Hoepner
Goalkeeper coach Germany Christoph Semmler
Mental Coach Germany Axel Zehle
Athletic Coach Germany Andreas Gross
Germany Engin Cicem
Video analyst Germany Jonas Bergerhoff
Match analyst Germany Benjamin Fischer
Sporting director Germany Christian Weber
Head of first-team football Germany Sascha Rösler
Scout Serbia Goran Vucic
Head of Youth Scouting Germany Felix Braunegger
Director of youth department Germany Michael Rensing
Doctor Germany Dr. Ulf Blecker
Physiotherapist Germany Marcel Verstappen
Germany Frank Hörstmann
Head of media and communications Germany Tino Polster
Team official Germany Oliver Paashaus
Team manager Germany Axel Bellinghausen
Kit manager Germany Tom Wirtz
Club representative Germany Egon Köhnen
Head of administration Germany Torge Hollmann
Academy staff Germany Oliver Fink

Coaches Through the Years

  • Germany Kuno Klötzer (July 1963 – June 1967)
  • Germany Otto Knefler (July 1968 – June 1970)
  • Germany Heinz Lucas (July 1970 – April 1975)
  • Germany Manfred Krafft (April 1975 – April 1976)
  • Germany Sepp Piontek (July 1975 – April 1976)
  • Germany Dietrich Weise (July 1976 – June 1978)
  • Germany Hans-Dieter Tippenhauer (July 1978 – October 1979)
  • Germany Otto Rehhagel (October 1979 – December 1980)
  • Germany Heinz Höher (December 1980 – June 1981)
  • Germany Jörg Berger (July 1981 – October 1982)
  • Germany Willibert Kremer (October 1982 – April 1985)
  • Germany Dieter Brei (April 1985 – April 1987)
  • Germany Gerd Meyer (April 1987 – June 1987)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Aleksandar Ristić (July 1987 – December 1990)
  • Austria Josef Hickersberger (December 1990 – August 1991)
  • Germany Rolf Schafstall (August 1991 – January 1992)
  • Germany Hans-Jürgen Gede (January 1992 – March 1992)
  • Germany Horst Köppel (January 1992 – August 1992)
  • Poland Rudolf Wojtowicz (interim) (August 1992)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Aleksandar Ristić (August 1992 – November 1996)
  • Poland Rudolf Wojtowicz (November 1996 – September 1997)
  • Germany Uli Maslo (September 1997 – April 1998)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Enver Marić (interim) (April 1998 – June 1998)
  • Germany Klaus Allofs (July 1998 – April 1999)
  • Germany Peter Neururer (April 1999 – June 1999)
  • Germany Jürgen Gelsdorf (July 1999 – May 2000)
  • Romania Tim Kamp (interim) (May 2000 – June 2000)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Aleksandar Ristić (July 2000 – January 2001)
  • Germany Uwe Fuchs (January –April 2001)
  • Romania Tim Kamp (April 2001 – April 2002)
  • Germany Stefan Emmerling (April –June 2002)
  • Serbia Slavko Petrović (July 2002 – May 2003)
  • Germany Uwe Weidemann (May –June 2003)
  • Italy Massimo Morales (July 2003 – November 2004)
  • Germany Uwe Weidemann (November 2004 – November 2007)
  • Germany Wolf Werner (interim) (November –December 2007)
  • Germany Norbert Meier (January 2008 – June 2013)
  • Germany Mike Büskens (June – November 2013)
  • Germany Oliver Reck (interim) (November and December 2013)
  • Germany Lorenz-Günther Köstner (January 2014 – June 2014)
  • Germany Oliver Reck (June 2014 – February 2015)
  • Germany Taşkın Aksoy (interim) (April 2015 – June 2015)
  • Germany Frank Kramer (July 2015 – November 2015)
  • Germany Peter Hermann (interim) (November 2015 – December 2015)
  • Germany Marco Kurz (December 2015 – March 2016)
  • Germany Friedhelm Funkel (March 2016 – January 2020)
  • Germany Uwe Rösler (January 2020 – June 2021)
  • Germany Christian Preußer (July 2021 – February 2022)
  • Germany Daniel Thioune (February 2022 – )

Stadiums Fortuna Düsseldorf Has Played In

Fortuna Düsseldorf has played its home games in several stadiums:

  • Lichtplatz (1908–1919)
  • Vennhauser Straße (1919–1930)
  • Paul-Janes-Stadion (1930–53, 1970–72, 1975–76, 2002–05, 2005–07)
  • Rheinstadion (1953–70, 1972–2002)
  • LTU Arena/Esprit Arena/Merkur Spiel-Arena (since 2005)
  • Lena-Arena (April–May 2011)

Club Records and Firsts

  • 1928: Fortuna was the first German team to visit Africa for friendly football matches.
  • 1960: They were the first German team to sign an African player, Charles Gyamfi.
  • December 7, 1978: Fortuna won 7–1 against Bayern Munich. This is still Bayern's biggest away defeat in Bundesliga history.
  • 1978–1981: Fortuna set a record for winning 18 DFB-Pokal matches in a row.
  • 2009: Fortuna set a record for attendance in Germany's third-tier football. 50,095 fans watched them win 1–0 against Werder Bremen U23, which led to their promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.

Rivalries and Fan Culture

Fortuna Düsseldorf has a strong rivalry with 1. FC Köln. This is because Düsseldorf and Cologne are close cities and have a long history of competition. However, these teams have not played in the same league very often in recent years. The last time they met in competitive matches was in the 2013–14 season.

Other historic rivals for Fortuna include Rot-Weiss Essen, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and Wuppertaler SV. In the 1970s, all four clubs played in the Bundesliga. While Essen and Wuppertal are now in lower leagues, Bayer Leverkusen has become a very strong team. Some Düsseldorf fans criticize Leverkusen because of their financial support from a large company, calling them "plastic" and saying they lack tradition. When Fortuna played in the Second Division, their games against MSV Duisburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach were also big rivalries, known as "Lower Rhein Derbys."

Fortuna also has a competitive rivalry with FC Bayern Munich, even though Fortuna has not challenged for the Bundesliga championship since the 1970s. Matches between them are often exciting. In 1975, Fortuna came back from being down 4–2 at halftime to win 6–5. On December 9, 1978, Fortuna defeated Bayern 7–1, which is still Bayern's worst-ever away loss. The band Die Toten Hosen, who are big Fortuna fans, even have a song called "Bayern" that celebrates Fortuna's success against them.

Fortuna Düsseldorf has a special connection with the English club Ipswich Town. Their fans visit each other's home games every year.

Fortuna Düsseldorf has a very passionate fan base. Supporters in the stadium's "ultra" section are known for their amazing displays and strong support for the club.

Members of the band Die Toten Hosen, including lead singer Campino, often attend Fortuna matches. The band is highly respected by the club because they were sponsors during the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons when the club was facing financial difficulties.

Futsal Department

Since June 1, 2015, Fortuna Düsseldorf has a futsal department. Futsal is a type of indoor football. This department has grown to be one of the strongest in Germany. They won the Futsalliga West in the 2020–21 season and were one of the founding teams of the Futsal Bundesliga.

See also

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